Details
by Jaggie 107
Summary: Submitted for the HBX Challenge, April 2009.


**HBX Challenge – April 2009**

Harm: You're not making this any easier.

LtCmdr Parker: Why should I? The man I love  
just told me he's thinking about leaving.

_Yeah, Baby_

**DETAILS **

Set in late season 7 (Harm and Mac were getting closer then), and for my purposes they've been 'together' since the Christmas mistletoe kiss…

**Harm's Office**

Mac closed the door behind her as she came and sat in front of Harm's desk. Harm watched her movements in silence, one eyebrow raised at the expression on her face.

"Something I can do for you, Colonel?"

"Yes, you can tell me what the hell is going on," Mac responded, her voice kept low by virtue of the innate control she could impose when needed. Right now the occupants of the bullpen didn't need to know that the Colonel and the Commander were about to have _the _most meaningful 'talk' of their lives!

"Nothing," Harm answered without hesitation, and his lips lifted in a grin at the reaction he knew _that_ would elicit from Mac.

"Nothing?" Mac bit back on the epithet she was about to utter, managing instead to force out the next words. "I'd hardly call your detailer 'nothing', when he's got your next posting lined up already!"

"You've been speaking to my detailer?" Harm's eyebrow inched up a little higher, and Mac thought quickly about how to answer before she realized Harm was amused rather than annoyed.

"He…rang, this morning…while you were in the shower."

"You didn't tell me," Harm was having fun now. He knew why Mac hadn't told him. Or rather, why she hadn't had a chance to tell him…

Mac felt the blush rise as she recalled the exact events too. Harm had called out at the same time as the telephone had begun to ring. With his wet head stuck around the shower stall and the most endearing smile on his face he'd asked her to wash his back. For Mac it had been an easy decision. The machine could take the call! It was while Harm was finishing up in the shower that she had replayed the message and discovered the identity of the caller. As she mulled over how to approach the contents of the call Harm had swept her along and out of the apartment with a brief, but hard, kiss and the threat of the Admiral's wrath if they were late once more that week!

"I'm telling you now," Mac's retort was abrupt as she fought to quash the memory of the shower. "And stop trying to distract me! I'm angry with you."

"Why?"

"_Why?" _Mac's voice went up a notch, and a couple of passing personnel looked into Harm's office; they recognized the tone of voice.

"Mac, you might want to keep your voice down. People are watching," Harm knew he was playing with fire, and yet couldn't stop himself. This was still too much fun. "You're not making this any easier."

"_Why should I?" _Mac practically shouted, rising to her feet, and then realizing just what she was doing she dropped back down into the seat. Leaning forward over his desk she pointed an accusing finger at Harm. "The man I love just told me he's thinking about leaving…"

Both of Harm's eyebrows rose at that comment, and Mac's mouth remained open without any more words coming out.

"You love me, huh?" Harm managed eventually, and Mac could only nod, robbed of her voice by the shock. It was one thing to blurt it out to Sturgis, another thing entirely to tell the man himself! Harm got to his feet and walked around the desk to the vacant visitors' chair next to Mac. Taking her left hand in his, he caught her attention by lifting his other hand to her chin and gently closing her mouth. "We've never actually _said_ we love each other…"

"Until now," Mac managed, her voice a whisper, her eyes wide.

"Until now," Harm repeated, nodding his head as he smiled at Mac. "If I tell you the same now, you're going to wonder whether I'm just saying it because you have, or because you think I'm trying to get round the issue of the detailer. I need you to come with me; to trust me."

"I do trust you…" Mac murmured, bemused at the turn of events, and then the anger returned as Harm got to his feet and pulled her up with him.

"_Harm!"_

"Please, Sarah…"

Mac would never remember whether it was the annoyance at Harm that made her forget, or the use of her given name by him – something he rarely did – but as they crossed the bullpen to the Admiral's open office Harm still had hold of her hand, and as he obviously had no intention of letting go, she didn't attempt to pull away from him; even after they came to a stop in front of the Admiral.

**Admiral's Office**

"Commander? When I said I wanted to be advised of a change in…er…status," Chegwidden had spied the linked hands and his lips twitched in amusement, "I didn't expect it to be this fast."

"Sir, I need to tell Mac…the Colonel… I don't think she'd believe me otherwise," Harm tried to explain his reason for coming into the JAG's office without much notice.

"Good God, man, you haven't _asked _her yet?" Chegwidden's delight at the situation changed to consternation as Harm turned to look at Mac.

"Asked me what?" Mac murmured, feeling more confused than ever at that moment.

Harm lifted both of Mac's hands to his mouth and lightly brushed her knuckles with his lips before putting his forehead against hers.

"Sarah Mackenzie, I love you. I'm _in_ love with you. Yes, I've been in touch with my detailer, to ask for options, but I'm not leaving, exactly. I mean…I'm not leaving _you_, but we can't be in the same command if we're…"

"If we're what, Harm?" Mac's first inkling of Harm's intentions was the mention of the chain of command. Her second was when he dropped down to one knee in front of her. Mac glanced at the Admiral, who could only shrug and smile benevolently. Returning her gaze to Harm, she recognized the symbolism of his actions for what they were – proof that he loved her; a willingness to face ridicule if she turned him down in front of their commanding officer.

"Sarah, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" The answer was immediate, the expression on Mac's face was radiant, and the Admiral wasted no time in slapping Harm on the shoulder as he got to his feet and reached for Mac.

"May I congratulate the bride to be?" Chegwidden opened his arms, and Mac returned his fatherly hug. "I'm so very happy for you, Mac. For both of you."

"Thank you, s…" Mac began, and then gave an impish smile. "AJ. If you're going to be walking me down the aisle, I can hardly call you 'sir'."

"Too true," Chegwidden nodded, his voice suddenly gruff. "It will be my pleasure."

Harm watched the exchange, and then put his hand out to thank the Admiral too. Chegwidden glanced at the outstretched hand and reached to take it, before hugging Harm too.

"I am not going to stand on ceremony here, Harm. I couldn't be more proud if you were my own son."

"That means a lot, AJ."

"It's the truth, son."

Mac lifted a hand to her cheek, surprised to find the wetness there. Harm lifted the white handkerchief from his uniform pocket and reached to wipe the tears.

"Happy tears, I hope."

"Oh, very…" Mac nodded, and grinned at the two men who meant the most to her.

"I guess I should let you secure for the day so you can go…er…shopping," Chegwidden murmured, and Mac looked from him to Harm.

"Shopping?"

"Yes, shopping. It's traditional for the engaged woman to have a symbol of said engagement, I believe…" Chegwidden explained, and Harm grinned.

"I have that covered, sir." Withdrawing a velvet pouch from his pocket, Harm opened the drawstrings and reached in to withdraw something from inside. Mac found herself holding her breath as Harm lifted a ring into view.

"Breathe, Mac," Harm instructed, laughing softly as Mac obeyed, taking in a gasp of air as she looked at the ring, then at Harm.

"How…how long…" she began then stopped while she gathered her wits. "How long have you had the ring?"

"I've actually had it since my mother married Frank, so that's quite a few years, but if you're asking how long have I known I wanted to give it to you…" Harm paused and Mac nodded silently. Chegwidden merely watched the proceedings with a widening smile before leaving them alone and closing his door behind him. As Tiner got to his feet he was waved down.

"The Colonel and the Commander have some private business to…discuss," Chegwidden murmured. "Until they are through, I'll be in the conference room. Page me when they're done."

Tiner nodded, and then smiled in understanding. The linked hands and the unannounced visit, and now the privacy, with the JAG happily giving up his own office for said privacy. "Aye, sir!" Tiner added, with a snappy salute, and the Admiral shook his head as he left the outer office. "Not a word, Tiner."

Taking a look around the bullpen as he headed for the conference room, the Admiral realized his admonishment to his yeoman might already be too late. From the intrigued looks on many faces it would appear scuttlebutt had already spread.

Inside the Admiral's office the two remaining occupants were blissfully unaware of their impact on the world outside. Wrapped around each other so neither knew where one began and the other ended, Harm and Mac surfaced from another soul-deep kiss, reluctant to actually end it and finding ways to nip and nuzzle each other, unwilling to be the one to pull away. Eventually reality settled in, and both pulled away, but only as far as arm's length. Foreheads touching, they grinned inanely until Mac raised her hand to touch Harm's mouth, and caught sight of the ring on her left hand.

"It's a beautiful ring, Harm, thank you. It fits…"

"I never doubted it wouldn't," Harm answered immediately. "The wedding band is in the pouch too, but if you would prefer…" Harm stopped talking as Mac put her fingers over his lips.

"It's our tradition now, but I have one request."

"Name it…" Harm pressed a kiss against Mac's fingers.

"When it comes time, I only want to give the engagement ring. I never want to give up the wedding band, Harm. Even if…" Suddenly Mac couldn't go on, and tears came to her eyes once more.

"Mac, it's okay… I know what you're saying…and I know it's a possibility, given who we are and what we do…"

"But you can't promise me this one, can you?" Mac's voice sounded small, and Harm groaned as he wrapped Mac in his arms once more, shaking his head against hers.

"Sweetheart, I can't make that promise, no, and neither can you. It's an impossible situation, and the only thing we can do is keep ourselves safe for each other."

"But you'll still take risks…"

"Unnecessary risks, no…but I can't deny I'd do whatever was necessary…"

"Even if it means…"

"Mac, stop…please," Harm put his hands either side of Mac's tear-stained face, searching her eyes, trying to allay her fears. "We've come so far, sweetheart, and this chance we have is now. No-one knows what's around the corner, but neither of us has ever shied away from our duty, or our pasts. Please, let's live _now_."

Harm waited for Mac's response, and he felt it in the slight nod of her head and the relaxing of her body against his.

"Do you think the Admiral would let us secure early today?" Mac's words were muffled against Harm's shirt, but he heard her.

"Well, technically, he did say we could go…um…_ shopping,_" Harm ventured, and Mac grinned, lifting her face for one more soft kiss before pulling completely away and opening the door to the Admiral's office.

"Tiner?"

"Ma'am?"

"Where did the Admiral go?"

"He's in the conference room, ma'am. He asked me to page him when you…when you were done."

"Please page him, Tiner."

"Aye, ma'am."

Harm stood behind Mac in the entrance to the Admiral's office, and Tiner's hand hovered over the telephone as he looked at the pair of them, a grin on his face.

"Now, Tiner!" Mac's amusement at Tiner's expression belied the authority in her voice.

"Yes, Colonel." Tiner pressed the intercom as requested and informed the Admiral his office was 'free' once more. As Harm and Mac waited, Tiner offered his congratulations.

"Thank you, Jason," Mac gave Tiner a warm smile, and Harm stepped forward to shake the younger man's outstretched hand. As they stood around Tiner's desk the Admiral appeared in the doorway.

"So, Colonel, Commander, I take it my office is mine again?"

"Yes, sir, and thank you for your time," Mac spoke first. Chegwidden nodded in response. Harm spoke up then, wanting to confirm the Admiral's earlier words.

"Sir, if I may…the offer to secure early…?"

"Still stands, Commander. If you want, I could make it an order."

"Not necessary, sir. We'll be out of here as soon as…"

"No delay, Commander. I'll reschedule staff call; see you back here tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"Aye, sir," both Harm and Mac responded to that, and came to attention briefly before being dismissed with a backward wave of Chegwidden's hand. The sound of his voice had Harm stopping before he'd left the outer office though.

"Commander?"

"Sir?"

"About your detailer. Leave the information with me."

"Aye, sir, and thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. The SecNav may not be as forgiving."

"Understood, sir."

**Harm's Apartment**

First had come the euphoria, knowing that even though they were already lovers this was all somehow new, and they were learning about each other all over again…

Sated now, and lying together on Harm's couch, he reached up to brush an errant lock of hair behind Mac's ear, and then his fingers trailed up her cheek, coming to rest against her lips. Mac watched Harm's eyes all the while, noticing how quickly they darkened, understanding why because her own were doing the very same thing.

"How did I get so lucky?" The words were spoken so quietly that Mac had to lean forward to hear them, but she smiled in response.

"That should be my line…" she answered softly, and then leaned in to place a barely-there kiss on Harm's lips before drawing back far enough to see his eyes once more. "We know so much about each other already, but this is so very different, and yet it's the safest I have felt in a very long time."

"Me too," Harm agreed, giving a sleepy smile and trying unsuccessfully to smother a yawn before suggesting that they return to the bed.

"Why, Commander, are you trying to take advantage of me?" Mac drawled in a mock-Southern accent, but Harm shook his head in denial.

"I think you wore me out, Colonel…" he began, and laughed as Mac hit him with a nearby couch pillow before rolling her under him and kissing her senseless. When they broke apart for the want of air their lips were still touching.

"You seem to have recovered now," Mac sassed, and ran her tongue along Harm's lower lip in invitation, which he readily accepted before standing up and bringing Mac with him so that they were stood together beside the couch.

"Bed?" Harm asked, and Mac nodded.

"Bed," she agreed, leading the way.

**The End**


End file.
